Halle BerryMental Hospital EscapeeApprehended by Police

2/10/2012 10:35 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Halle Berry has one less reason to flee to France -- because the mentally unstable man who threatened to slit her throat has been successfully apprehended by authorities.

TMZ broke the story ... one of the reasons Halle wanted to move to France with her fiance was because of a man named Robert Hoskins -- a mental patient who escaped the institution where he was being treated last week.

Halle was freaked because Hoskins had made threats on her life -- specifically to "slit her throat" -- and she was afraid he would come looking for her. Hoskins made a similar threat to Madonna in the 90s ... and was shot by Madge's security after he trespassed on to her property.

But according to the LAPD, 54-year-old Hoskins was apprehended today and returned to the Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk where he was committed last year.

Police had asked for the public's help the day before Hoskins was taken into custody -- calling Hoskins "highly psychotic" and extremely violent.